Saturday, January 26, 2013

I Bad Australian

It strikes me that when an American comes to Australia, they think it is quite English, certainly when they visit Melbourne. If an English person comes to Australia, they think it is very American. Is our identity planted firmly in the centre of the Atlantic? Not anymore it isn't, if it ever was. Yet the US and the UK do dominate our culture. Just musing as I try to write something about Australia Day.

I am am not going to criticise Australia here. It is not a bad place to live, in fact quite good for the haves. I suppose I am, a have.

People have clipped Australian flags in their car windows and trams have an Aussie flags at each end to enthuse us to celebrate Australia Day. But the older I get, the less I like the day. There was perhaps a time when I was a bit sentimental about the day, but that is not the case now. I now associate it with the 'uglies' who wrap an Aussie flag around themselves, the Cronulla riots, it being the day in Victoria where there are the most physical assaults for the year.

16 comments:

Hello Andrew:We always have mixed feelings about days such as this, Australia Day, which are a celebration of a nation and are therefore, by definition, rather inward looking. The same is true of Hungary on August 20th. but the United Kingdom does not really have anything truly comparable.

Oh Andrew, be more positive. While agreeing that we do have unsavoury characters with unsavoury values within our shores we have much to celebrate on this day. Compared to many other countries we are way out in front when it comes to civil unrest, the economy, starving populations, persecuted women, civil rights, standard of living, gun laws and the weather. Ask yourself, "Is there anywhere else in the world you would prefer to live?"Happy Australia Day-Go Celebrate our great country.(Written by an immigrant)

I'm with you Highriser - I cannot 'celebrate' the anniversary of a day that an English buccaneer planted his country's flag into another country, occupied for 40,000 years by a different nation, and declared it to be the property of his.

I would be happy however, to celebrate federation or the people's/miner's rights won by the Eureka Stockade.

I'm rather "meh" about Australia Day. Every year I think about getting one of those tiny flags and hanging it by the front door, but I never do. I love my country, love living here, but don't feel the need to make a party about it.

I am with River. I look Australian, sound Australian and love being Australian, but there is no need for wild partying and no certainly no need for hysterical flag waving.

What we should have on Australia Day each year are1. Naturalisation ceremonies, to welcome new citizens2. Public debates about what projects need to be created, in order to have no unemployment and more inclusiveness in this country3. Celebrations of beach culture.

Indigenous Australians have contributed a great deal to our national character and wealth, so any day but invasion day would be a better day for celebrating how lucky we are to live in this wonderful country. 26 January is an insult.

I feel the same, but now that I'm out of the country, it was rather nice to meet up with some other Aussies and enjoy some homemade pasties and sausage rolls, vegemite scrolls, pavlova and a packet of Tim Tams. And the table runner was a beach towel with the flag on it!

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